Lubricant measuring device



PY 26s 1949- J. T. LEONARD 2,468,675

LUBRICANT MEASURING DEVICE Original Filed May 27, 1944 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 i gliixm... 13

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` LUBRICANT MEASURING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed -May 27, 1944 Patented Apr. 26, 1949 LUBBICANT MEASURING DEVICE .lohn T. Leonard, Evanston, Ill.

@riginal application May 27, 1944, Serial No.

537,720. Divided and this application June 26, 19Li7, Serial No. '257,156

5 Claims.

My invention relates generally to centralized lubricating systems, and more particularly to irnproved means for dividing the lubricant supply into a plurality of measured `charges individual to the several bearings to be lubricated.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple multiple-unit lubricant measuring apparatus which is capable of controlling the supply of individually measured charges of lubricant to a plurality of bearings by means o a single manual operation.

A further object is to provide an improved lubricant distributing valve.

A further object is to provide an improved plug valve mechanism incorporating a plurality of lubricant measuring devices.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the acompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the connections to the indicator;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 6, showing the valve plug in its opposite and intermediate positions, respectively.

This application is a application Serial No. 537 ,720, led May and now Patent Number 2,427,680.

The invention as disclosed herein comprises a valve body H0 having a tapered bore for the reception oi a rotatable tapered valve plug H2. The plug is maintained in tight sealing relationship in the bore oi the body lill by a spring Sil which, through cooperating wedges 32 and 33 `and a ball 28, presses the valve plug I I2 into the bore of the body |I0. The initial position of the wedges 32 and 33 is controlled by an adjusting screw 38 threaded in a plug |00 which closes the lower end of the bore in the valve body l l0. The degree of compression of the spring 34 may be adjusted by a set screw 36 and the wedges 32, 33 and the ball 28 are maintained in operative position by a pressed metal inverted cuplike cage 30. Thus, as wear between the valve plug H2 and the body H0 takes place, the spring 34, through the operation of the wedges 32 and 33 and ball 28, moves the plug inwardly into the body IIO so as to take up such wear.

There are live cylinders I Ill formed in the plug II2, these cylinders being provided with split stop rings ||6 tting in suitable grooves in the division of my copending 355' cylinder walls. Within each of the cylinders |I.4 is a solid piston I I8, these pistons being of dilerent lengths to compensate for the dilerent lengths of the cylinders in which they operate, and thereby to secure uniform volumetric discharge therefrom. The cylinders ||4 are connected in series by a plurality of diagonal ducts |20.

Lubricant is supplied through a pipe |22 (Fig. 3) which connects with pairs of ducts |24 terminating in inlet ports |26, |21. There are provided six outlet pipes |28 leading laterally from the body IIO to bearings to be lubricated, these pipes communicating with outlet ports |29, |30, while there are four pipes |32 leading from the rear side of the body IIO to bearings, these pipes |32 communicating with ports similar to the ports |29 and |30, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 7.

A pressure indicator |34 is provided with an indicator button |36 secured to a. spring-pressed plunger |38 having a piston |40 at the other end thereof. This piston is subjected to lubricant pressure supplied through a port |42. The plug T- ||2, as best shown in Fig. 5, is provided with a passageway Ill/l, one end of which is adapted, under certain conditions, to register with the port |42, while the other end registers with an exhaust port |46, which a pipe |48 connects to a part to be lubricated. The plug |I2 is provided with a handle 94 and has a stop pin |50 (Fig. 4) projecting therethrough, the ends of this pin being adapted to engage arcuate lugs |52 formed on the body l I0 so as to limit the angular movement of the plug I I2 to 90.

In operation, when lubricant is supplied through the conduit |22 and the valve plug II2 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, lubricant will be supplied through the inlet port |21 to the -f lowermost cylinder I|4 and force the piston |I8 therein to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, such movement of the piston |I8 forcing a measured quantity of lubricant from the opposite end thereof through the associated port |30 and pipe |28 to the bearing. When the lowermost piston has moved a sufficient distance to uncover the end of the passageway |20 (Fig. 2) which is nearest the inlet port |21, lubricant flows through this passageway into the second lowermost cylinder |I4 and moves the piston I I8 therein in a similar manner. The remaining pistons IIS are thereafter progressively moved to the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2, thereby discharging the lubricant therefrom to their associated bearings.

When the uppermost piston II8 has thus been moved, lubricant flows from the pressure end of its cylinder through a passageway |56 to the inlet port |112 of the indicator, forcing the plunger |30 thereof outwardly to provide a Visible .and

tactile signal to show that all of the pistons have been operated. When this occurs, the operator, by means of the handle 94, turns the valve )plug H2 clockwise from the position Iin #which Iit is shown in Figs. 3 and 6, to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 8. In the course of such movement, the passageway I4@ registers Withtheindicator port |42, as shown in Fig. 7, thereby permitting the spring-pressed plunger H138 -to move inwardly and discharge lubricant .contained in the plunger cylinder through the passageway A.Hill to the outlet port M6, the indicator thus returning to normal position.

When the plug has been moved to the-position l in which it is shown in Fig. 8, the opposite end of #the 'slowermost .cylinder .I l 4 .is brought `.into lreg-istryavith the finlet port VJ1.26 and lubricant .is thus supplied to ythe lowermost Icylinder 114, fforcing the f plunger in. .the opposite .direction Aand .fdisrcharging .ithezlubrioant ahead of the piston .to v'the outlety port SL29 associated therewith, :and hence :to the bearing lUpon movement vof fthe piston .M8 suiciently to uncover the end of the passageway .L-on the ,pressure `sideof the piston, lubricant ows :from the .lower-most cylinder 1i fl- :to .the next adjacent cylinder, and operates the piston-there- :in-'in va sim-ilar manner. The remaining :pistons fare 1progressively :operated in succession tunftil @the .uppermost .piston .H8 has been moved .to discharge flubricant through its .associated port 129 eto'ithebea-ring. 'When this uppermost 5piston Jil 1has moved from :the .position in which lit is shown fin Eig/8 to fullydisohargethe lubricantfaheadoi it, the piston will uncover the end of a .passage- .wayil vwhich fait :this time is 2in Acommunication xwithfthe .port HIL of-theindicatonand thus .will :apply .pressure tto the .plunger of :the :lat-ter and move it outwardly, and :thereby indicate :to the .operator that the lubrication -operation has .been completed.

"The illubricating operation lis avery simple, fsi-nce, vassuming lthat lubricant lunder .pressure -i-s .being Asuppliedthroughthe inlet pipe l 22, theoperator -need :merely Ashift the valve body H2in.one di- :rection through an angle of '90 Aand 'hold `it 1in such position until the indicator :button 136 is projected 'to show the completion -of this phase of VAthe lubricating operation, whereupon the `operator willswingfthe-valve 90.in .the :opposite direction to cause the lubricant =to :be supplied -to :the'fremaining bearings. -Hence, =it Ais -seen ythat the valve 'body :may be moved between two Ipositions, vwhichmay .bereerredfto as positions A-and iB.` In this wayaplura'lity ofibearings 111 in the embodiment illustrated) ymay `be substantially simultaneously lubricated by a simple operation.

While the cylinders :M4 are illustrated as being of the same diameter and the strokes ofthe pistons I'll18 as being equal, so-that the displacement ofthe pistons is equal, this is not essential .and v-the 1pistons may, if desired, =be made --of-diierent diameters-and of diierent strokes :so esto-provide different meteredcharges of lubricant to various bearings.

While I have shownffand described-a-.particular embodiment of my invention, `it -will be apparent that numerous variations and -modilca'tions thereof may 4vbe made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claims, vto include withinthe scope of `my invention all such variations land l.modifications by `which substantially the results -of vmy invention may be obtained through the luse lof substantially f-the same or equivalent means.

Iclaim:

1. A lubricating device comprising, a valve `bodyhaving a plug rotatable therein between two extreme positions, a plurality of outlet ports in said body, said plug having a plurality of cylindrical bores therein, pistons reciprocable in said xbores respectively, means for limiting the strokes of said pistons, an inlet port and passageways for conveying lubricant to one end of one of said bores .when said ,plug is in one extreme position and to the opposite end thereof when said plug is Iin its otherextreme position, and a pair of passageways leading from each of said bores to the -next adjacent bore, each of said passageways extending from a midportion of one of said bores :to :the fadjacentend of the' next .adjacent '.bore,

said pistons -eachibeing .of .suchllength `:assto iuncover one of said -passageways'when y:at oneiend of.its v stroke and .to vuncoverf-the.other fof saidfpassageways whenatthe otherend of its stroke.

2. The combination set forth in claim l, in which said outlet ports are arranged in `two groups and in which .said plug may be rotated from a position in which one-endfof leach of said bores is in alignment with an outlet port of one group to a position in which the opposite vend-01? each of said bores'is in :alignment'withfanouftlet port of the other group.

3. Ina lubricating system, the combination of a valve body :hav-ing a plug rrotatabletherein-be'- tween positions A and 1B, a .plurality lof :outlet yports in said body, -means :for conveying lubricant :from saidloutlet ports -to parts .to :belubricated, said plug having va series Vof Acylindrical bores therein, pistons lrecipro'cable in .said bores respectively, means for limiting the strokesoi lsaid pistons, an inlet port for conveying lubricant to one end of one of said bores *when said plug is in position A and fto the opposite end of said bore when said plug fis :in position and passageways leading .from :each .of said :bores to the next adjacent bore, each of said-passageways extending from a midportion :offene "of said ebores to 4the -adiacent send of the "next yadjacent bore,

lsaid pistons'eaohibeing of such length as to uncover one of said passageways when at-onefendoi its stroke tand 'to vuncover rtheother of said .passageways when at the other end -of v-its stroke, whereby upon supplying lubricant-under `pressure to said inlet whensaidplug is in position A said pistons will successively loperate 'in one :direction to discharge measured-charges of lubricant y'tothe parts to'be lubricated and Iwhen Asaid 2plug 1is in position B said pistons Will lbe -moved successively in the opposite direction to .replenish the charges previouslydischarged and ltodischarge measured charges to'theparts to-be lubricated.

4. 'The ycombination set forth iin claim 3, in which a pressure rv'indicator is --provided 'fand in which the passageways leading from lthe-rl-ast of said series-'of Vcylindricalbores -fconfn-ect with said pressure indicator when said lplug iis in either position A or position'B.

15. The combination -set '-forth 1in *claim `vv3, 1in which a Vpressure indicatorfis vprovided, in fwhich the passageways leading ffrom vthe last yofsaidseries of cylindrical lbores-connect 4with said -pressure indicator when said plug @is ineither position 'or position `B,andin which Ineansare provided to release "lubricant under pressure Ifrom said lpressure indicatorw-hen 4said plug iis vat raposition intermediate 'its positions -A and B.

JGHN 'TQ-LEONARD. v

Noeferencesicited. 

